Promise
by Mecha Rush
Summary: "I will sacrifice my position, my loyalty, my honor... To keep your smile untainted by another."/The hearts of two lovers only keep blazing higher as time goes on... When the Heiwajima and Orihara Clans clash together for their last battle, how will Fate conclude their desire? Title is bound to change. R&R!
1. Prologue

First fic ~ The only thing I can promise is that it will suck!

JK. I hope it won't suck _that_ much.

I started this fic because I was beginning to get very annoyed with how Psyche is written most of the time.

P.S. I don't own Durarara! or any of the alternate characters (A.K.A. Tsugaru&Psyche). All of the servants are made up.

Enjoy~

******Please note that the last two parts are about Tsugaru's PAST.**

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His grip tightened on the katana, sweat rolling down his forehead as he centered his concentration.

_Forever, for eternity; till the end of time,_

Raising the blade to eye-level, his calm blue eyes flickered up as he took his stance.

_Never lose that smile, the one crowned on your face._

He lunged forward, blonde hair ruffling from the swift movement.

_For if my feelings make you my weakness,_

The blade pierced the air, grazing the sleeves of the blue kimono.

_I will sacrifice my position, my loyalty, my honor,_

The blond man recovered from his landing stance, having lost count of the number of cuts he had repeated.

_To keep your smile untainted by another._

The man walked back to where he had started, his blue eyes never betraying his determination as his grip on his blade retightened, ready to start the repeated movement once more.

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"-!"

"-?! -! - - - - -!"

"- - - -!"

"- - -?!"

Disturbed by unidentifiable sounds, Tsugaru woke from his restless slumber. He could feel the ache in his bones seeping back to him as soon as his consciousness had returned, those repeated katana exercises finally catching up to his small figure.

The door to his room was slammed open. Opening his eyes slowly to avoid the light flooding his view at a painful speed, Tsugaru turned his head slightly in his pillow to see who had infiltrated his room at what he assumed was the middle of the night.

Tetsuya stood tiredly at his door, panting heavily as he bowed in respect, his action followed by Reito and Keiichi who were standing behind him.

"We… apologize for… the disturbance, Tsugaru-sama," Tetsuya said in between breaths, trying to get his words out without having them become stuck in his throat. Tsugaru could see that the man was struggling to keep his composure. "But… there seems to have… been a… crisis."

Taking a minute to let those words sink in, the blue-eyed boy sat up, ignoring his aching body parts. He ruffled his hair, which appeared sun-kissed by the artificial light that illuminated the hallways beyond his dark room. He could hear the panic in the voices of his subordinates as they raced down the halls, running from a fear unknown to him.

He did not understand why his subordinates were coming to him for solutions, but Tsugaru did not let his confusion slip in his expression or voice as he asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

Tetsuya hesitate to answer him, his voice laced with disbelief when he finally did; as if he himself could not believe the words he was delivering. All of the shouting, all of the panic seemed to die out from his ears when Tsugaru heard his stuttering subordinates next words.

"It… It seems… It appears that… your… Your parents have been murdered, Tsugaru-sama."

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Tsugaru rushed out of his room, not caring about the fact that his obi was barely done. He slipped his geta on as he entered the hallway, uneasy subordinates lined against the wall, whispering amongst themselves.

He paid little attention to them as he ran, his dark blue yukata wavering behind him due to the speed of his pace. Tsugaru knew he wasn't supposed to run, but this thought did not occur to the blue-eyed boy as he ran towards his parents' room. Although Tetsuya, Reito, and Keiichi were following close behind him, they did not reprimand him, only chasing after him at a similar pace.

There were no thoughts running through Tsugaru's mind when he finally arrived at the double doors to his parents' room. Touya was standing in front of the doors as the boy approached, his stern mocha eyes looking grim behind his raven locks.

Touya bowed, showing his respect, "Tsugaru-sama."

Tsugaru nodded, dismissing the action. "First Commander Touya," he acknowledged, allowing the man to raise his head.

As Touya slowly raised his head, his stare bore straight into Tsugaru's, not wavering even the slightest. A brief moment of silence passed as the two continued to stare at each other. Tsugaru had no idea what this man in front of him was trying to tell himself through stares, and did not have time to question it; for Touya set his lips in a tight line and closed his eyes as he stepped away from Tsugaru's path, as if the action physically pained him.

With no more obstacles in the way, ocean-blue eyes bore into the double doors that stood in front of them. The pressure and silence around him was thick, as many subordinates' eyes placed themselves on the young blonde boy. So thick that, Tsugaru, who had practiced keeping control of his emotions since the day he could recognize them, began to tremble slightly as he placed his hands on the cold wood.

The boy swallowed the lump in his throat as he slid the two doors open.

Two things hit Tsugaru at once. His gaze lingered on the floor, an eerie red liquid soaking the once-clean floors, painting an odd pattern of disoriented budding flowers. At the same time, a sour stench came at him like a wave, the hostile odor getting worse as the seconds continued to pass.

Sky-colored eyes reflected the dark crimson fluid as Tsugaru's gaze slowly followed the bloody trail into the room. He could see his parents' bodies - their white and dark blue yukata painted with the same disoriented flower pattern as the floor. They were standing upright against the wall.

For a moment, a flicker of relief started to thrive in Tsugaru's chest. Murdered people could not stand. Perhaps Tetsuya had been mistaken, and although there had been a crisis, his parents had already taken care of it. His parents would scoff at the thought of them, _the Head of the Heiwajima Clan, _being murdered, and later scold him for running in the halls-

As Tsugaru took a step into the room, the double doors creaked open a bit further from his push, allowing more light to get into the room and unveil the truth that pierced the fleeting hopes in his heart.

There.

The back wall.

His parents.

Eyes torn from their sockets, crying tears of blood.

The red river running down their cheeks.

Bleeding cuts covering any visible skin.

A katana piercing each of their skulls at the center of their forehead, pinning them to the wall.

A katana with _a red handle and a black blade_.

Red and black.

A red handle, a black blade.

The representative colors,

The representative katana,

_Of the Orihara Clan_.

Tsugaru stared, unsure of what he was supposed to do - of what he was supposed to think, of how he was supposed to react. His unbelieving eyes slowly grazed to the message that was written above his parents' heads, with the same sickening liquid that covered the room.

'_Happy Birthday, next Head of the Heiwajima.'_

The silence etched on as Tsugaru stood frozen in place. Tetsuya was unsure of the words he should say, unable to tear his ash-colored eyes from the blonde boy's trembling back. He reached to put his hands to steady those quivering shoulders, but a firm hand moved to stop him. Tetsuya looked in the direction of where it had come from, only to see Touya grimly shaking his head in disapproval.

As the subordinates watched, Tsugaru started to walk towards his deceased parents. The hands of time ticked at a painfully slow pace as the silence allowed the sounds of geta slapping against pools of liquid to echo. When the blonde boy was standing in front of his father's corpse, he reached up to grab something that had been attached to the same dark blue yukata he was wearing.

Everyone viewing already knew what it was, even before Tsugaru flipped it in his hand and held it beside him, still only allowing the back of his figure to be shown to his audience.

Between his fingers he held a silver pin, about the size of one's palm. It was Cryophase, the dragon figure studded with brilliant blue and white gems, representing the Heiwajima Clan. It had yet to be tainted by blood, as if remaining innocent regardless of what had happened to its owner.

When the time passed and Tsugaru spoke, his voice was calm, as if seeing the sight of his dead parents did not have any effect of him; as if it did not matter.

"Touya."

The commander straightened at his name, knowing a commanding tone when he heard one. "Yes, Tsugaru-sama."

The boy tightened his grip on the pin and let his arm fall as he heard his name. There was a slight moment of silence before he let his hand rest and spoke again.

"….. Prepare an Awakening Ceremony immediately. The Heiwajima will rise tomorrow with a new leader."

Tetsuya stepped forward in attempt to speak up, but Keiichi grabbed his arm and pulled back.

Touya bowed, despite the fact that his new leader could not see him. "Yes, Tsugaru-sama," he replied. When he turned to leave in order to accomplish his task, his grim appearance was nowhere to be seen, his face devoid of any emotions instead.

"Tsugaru-sama…" Tetsuya stuttered, unable to hide his uncertainty and concern.

"I want everyone to go and assist First Commander Touya with preparations of the ceremony. **Now**. We cannot allow the enemy to falter us like this; I shall join everyone in a moment."

All the soldiers stood still in disbelief, shocked at the words of the young blonde boy who still refused to show anything but his back.

Reito shook his head, his emerald hair swaying, and gave the unmoving soldiers a glare with his golden eyes, a silent order, before leaving the scene. Soon after, the soldiers began to file out after him.

Tetsuya and Keiichi were the last to leave. Tetsuya was unwilling, his ash-gray eyes lingering on Tsugaru's back until Keiichi tugged on his arm, signaling silently that they should take their leave. It wasn't long until Tsugaru was alone with the two carcasses in front of him, the stale odor becoming unbearable.

In solitude at last, the blonde boy wiped away the tears that had begun falling quite a while ago, thankful that his voice had not betrayed him while he had been with his subordinates. Although he was scared, young, and alone, he did not make a sound as he cried, his silence as heavy as the burden he was carrying.

Tsugaru took a shaky, deep breath, hiding his blue irises behind his eyelids. He didn't need this feeling, this weakness. He couldn't cry. He needed to get rid of this ridiculous emotion. He was Heiwajima Tsugaru, son of the previous Head of Heiwajima and now soon enough, the Head himself. His fingers curled around the object in his hand, his grip tightening around the pin as his resolve grew. He had been raised as a leader since his birth. It didn't matter how many years too early it was - this was his responsibility, his duty. Tsugaru slowly opened his eyes, making sure that his face was clear of any conflicting inner battles.

As he turned around and headed for the Awakening Ceremony that would crown him as the next Head, he ingrained every detail of this night into his memory as he slowly began shutting down his emotions, closing off any openings for weaknesses.

The following day, Heiwajima Tsugaru was crowned as the 21st Head of the Heiwajima Clan at the age of twelve, the Cryophase pin on the left side of his kimono representing his duties as the leader, sworn to be by his heart till the day he met his end.

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I should probably mention that this prologue is split into two. The first part is the prologue of the actual story. The second part is Tsugaru's past. Oh yeah. And I'm a terribly slow updater - especially this week, I literally have something for hours every day. Oh. And I also have no idea where this is going.

R&R ~


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: **First of all, I wanted to thank my single reviewer. Seriously; as a writer, there is no better compliment, encouragement, criticism, and motivation than an honest review. I made sure to reply, to show my thanks. Thanks so much again, I love you. Totally.

Second, I just wanted to mention that on my profile I keep a log of everything I do (related to FF, of course). If you're wondering how far I am with a chapter, search (Ctrl + F) and type MM/DD/YY of the most recent days, or just scroll to the very bottom for the latest one.

Aaaand a little bit about the story. The very basis of this plot line is from an idea I had and kept from several years ago. It's very rough and a lot of it has to change to match Tsugaru and Psyche (I still haven't thought all of this through yet... *facepalm*), so it may seem a bit disoriented. Sorry! T_T

Anyway I'll shut up right about... now.

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_Somewhere in a dark room, a man sat alone at a table, a single candle flickering at the very center. The small light danced off the pale skin, revealed under the long, black sleeves. Lean fingers were softly touching a game board, multiple pieces of various shapes and sizes littered across. The owner of those fingers swiftly swiped two pieces off the board, then proceeded to move an unidentifiable blue and gold piece to the right, away from the left edge. Then, grabbing ink, he scratched out any number right to the newly placed figure. Previously re-written numbers could be seen to the left while the man inked in new numbers directly under the blue piece. Satisfied with what he had done, he put the ink down and eyed the pink rose bud placed at the very right, the very tip dipped in black. It was surrounded by several white and a few black Gó pieces, along with a black King who was aligned directly opposite of the white King._

_The man stared at the piece very thoughtfully, leaning into his left hand as his right index finger softly tapped the tip of the rose._

_"In a couple of years," he said, speaking out loud to himself. "This bud will begin to blossom. Ah ~ but I won't be the one raising it, will I? Certainly not! The set is ready; all the pieces are in place. When he picks up this silly little bud to take home, to raise, to nourish, to love ~ He'll be happy, so happy! Oh... but when its grown, when it has fully blossomed, when it has grown to the peak of its beauty..."_

_The man pressed against the small tip of the piece, tipping it over from the forced pressure. As the piece began to fall, the man's lips curled upwards to form a sadistic smile._

_"Ah~ I wonder what I'll do then?"_

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Tetsuya struggled to stand, tired, nervous, and overwhelmed. Beside him, Reito was standing with a bored expression on his face. There was a tight and heavy silence in the air as Tsugaru continued to scan the hastily done review. All of the Division Administrators had been excused, leaving only three people in the large room. Tetsuya could not remember the last time the atmosphere had been this heavy during the past eight years of his Commander work.

Setting the papers down, Tsugaru looked up at his Division Commanders, his face expressionless.

"Where is First Division Commander Touya?"

"He received a direct arrow wound to the stomach; the Head Healer insisted that he should begin resting immediately."

Tsugaru tilted his head, leaning on his fingers. He spread his other hand over the papers he had previously set down, unable to process the hastily written words of the Second Division Commander who had taken over the writing of the review for the First.

"How many men were involved at the beginning?"

"24 000, Tsugaru-sama."

"From each Division?"

"The First had 13 000, Second with 9 000, and the Third had 3 000."

"I believe that is a 2 000 increase in the First Division from the original plan."

"Yes, Tsugaru-sama. The enemy's third base revealed a second part to the surrounding wall, and more men were required in order to be able to hold the North gate."

"And this had not been considered while the plan was being discussed?"

"No, Tsugaru-sama. It appears that the Orihara Clan managed to finish the second section in as soon as we ordered our informants to draw back, in order for preparation of the invasion."

"That's a week," the blue-eyed man said. "A week."

Tsugaru looked down and shifted to straighten up the papers that had become jumbled. As the papers rustled, he stared at what he assumed were numbers. He remained quiet, his eyes never trailing away from the parchment in front of him.

The time ticked on, the silence deafening. Tetsuya shuffled his feet. Reito's bored expression slowly formed a frown.

The blonde-haired man sitting in front of them began to rub on the numbers he had been staring at. He occasionally paused to check his work. The ink smudged and spread, but the numbers never quite lost their form.

"... And the number of casualties?"

There was a pause. As Reito saw the Second Commander beside him struggle to answer, he opened his mouth to answer for him, in a voice softer than his usual uncaring tone.

"... 15 000, Tsugaru-sama."

The said man kept rubbing.

"... Deaths?"

There was another moment of silence. Tetsuya bit down harshly on his bottom lip, knowing he was unable to speak with the lump that had began forming in his throat several seconds ago.

"... 9 000, Tsugaru-sama."

The two Division Commanders watched their leader. His blonde strands didn't shuffle, indicating any sign of movement; his blue eyes stayed focused downwards, allowing no chance for eye contact. His expression betrayed not a single thought, no hint appearing across the features of his face. It was as if his question had not been answered at all.

The unsaid conclusion was heavy in the air, the atmosphere suffocating the room.

_24 000 men..._

_15 000 casualties..._

_9 000 of the casualties confirmed dead._

"... Status of the enemy base?"

"... It remains uncaptured, Tsugaru-sama."

_It was a complete and utter loss, with no little achievement to compensate_.

"..."

Tsugaru kept staring.

"... Second Division Commander Tetsuya."

Tetsuya was startled, but straightened up and managed to answer. "Yes, Tsugaru-sama."

"... Third Division Commander Reito."

"Yes, Tsugaru-sama," Reito answered, his frown reverted back to his usual solemn expression.

"... Inform First Division Commander Touya that another proposal on the enemy's third base will be discussed in three days."

"Yes, Tsugaru-sama."

"... Both of you are dismissed."

As the two commanders bowed and left, Tsugaru continued to rub on the specific area on the parchment. The black ink continued to smudge, spreading over a larger area each time. It stained the tip of his index finger, raven's wings folding on top of the white skin.

But no matter how much he rubbed, no matter how smudged the ink became, Tsugaru could not erase the form of the numbers that had been scratched onto the piece of paper - it was now a permanent record, forever stained in black.

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Three days had passed since the complete loss to the Orihara.

The three Division Commanders rose as the Head of the Heiwajima, Tsugaru walked in. He nodded at their bows in acknowledgement, walking towards the table with his blue eyes and Cryophase dragon pin reflecting the candlelight. The three men watched as the expressionless blonde man sat down, sitting across where their seats were. They sat down after him.

"Commander Touya. I trust that your recovery is going well?" Tsugaru asked as soon as everyone was seated, lifting the papers in front of him one by one and skimming them with his empty stare.

"Yes, Tsugaru-sama. I apologize for the inconveniences I have caused," the man replied grimly, his raven locks looking more hectic than any other day. He tried to smooth them out, his white patient's yukata ruffling in the process. Touya was not used to being an injured man.

Tsugaru put one of the papers down directly in front of himself, still not looking at any of his subordinates. "No need. Let the discussion begin. I have not much to say, other then to go forward with the proposal I believe everyone has read."

Tetsuya exchanged a glance with Reito. "Tsugaru-sama, if I may."

"Speak," was the blonde man's only reply, as he busily began adding more notes to the paper he had been staring at.

The Second Commander's eyes danced with doubt as gray irises watched his superior, hesitating before he spoke. "Tsugaru-sama... Planting the substance at the main floor will destroy the entire third base, not just the single floor, or cause a disruption."

"I know," was the only reply the Commander received.

"Destroying the main base will cause the upper floors to collapse one on top of the other, eliminating escape routes from the North, East, and West gates."

"I know."

"... There can be no survivors. There will be no prisoners to take."

"I know."

"... There is no way an escape route can be crafted. It's... a suicide mission."

"... I know."

There was a pause. For a brief moment, there was no other sound than the shuffling of papers.

"Tsugaru-sama..." Touya said, frowning. "The attack three days ago was to take over the third base and capture as many soldier prisoners as possible. This proposal goes against both goals."

"..."

The three Commanders watched waited.

Unbeknownst to Tetsuya and Reito, Touya was staring and remembering what used to be a fair-haired, blue-eyed, energetic boy. A young boy who used to skip his afternoon katana exercises and sleep through battle strategy reviews. A boy who Touya had scolded all the time, a boy who told Touya that he didn't have to pretend to be so mean all the time, because everyone knew that the black-haired man had a soft heart. He had scoffed at that, and put the boy on extra katana exercises for three hours after.

That boy had started to die when he was seven, the day he was told his older brother had died.

That boy had died when he was twelve, the day his parents were murdered and he was crowned the Head of the Heiwajima.

Although the man in front of Touya's eyes had the same shades of brilliant golden hair, as well as the clear ocean-blue eyes of that same boy who had died eight years ago, Touya could not recognize this man as the boy.

"... The current Head of the Orihara," Tsugaru calmy began, snapping Touya out of his reverie. "Is not only a man who plays on the tactical field, but a psychological one as well. If we wait for them to make a move, it would result in not only the tactical loss relating to the third base, but also a psychological loss. Allowing them to strike now would mean that not only have we given them two victories, but on different fields as well."

The blonde man finally raised his head, staring at the wall behind his three companions steadily. "Completely destroying the third base will stop any further development planned for that base. Also, that substance we found in their minor research lab of that base; using that explosive substance that they themselves have been researching, to destroy their own base, would give a significantly higher psychological advantage than any other possible action as of now."

The three Commanders let their superior's words sink in for a minute.

Reito, unconvinced, turned his head to stare at the wall to his right.

"... Knowing the Head of the Orihara, this feels like something he'd plan," the golden-eyed Second Commander murmured. "The sudden change in defense from the raid to the invasion had too large of a gap. And there's no reason for them to have created a minor research lab in their third base, if their main base is used for research, that researched nothing other than the exact substance we need to go forward with this plan. The risk seems high, Tsugaru-sama." Reito turned his head back to face his superior as he referred to the golden-haired man._  
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This time, the Head of the Heiwajima stared directly at his subordinate. His sapphire irises betrayed not a single flicker of emotion.

"_Opportunity over security_," Tsugaru replied softly. "At this point, it's a risk I'm willing to take."

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_The man sat at the table he had deserted for eight years, all objects on the wooden furniture having collected a thick layer of dust. The man did not brush it off, or give any attempt to clean it. He just stared at the outlines of his game board, the pieces only identifiable by shape, the color hidden by a sheet of gray._

_He picked up a single piece to the right side of the board, circled by lumps of gray. He gave the piece a blow, revealing a faded, but still beautiful, light-pink rosebud. The top of the bud was still as black as the night, unaffected by the years that had passed._

_He moved it up, setting it down directly across another unknown piece. Both pieces were one square away from their edges, and were now aligned across the center._

_The man smirked._

_"Ah~ It certainly has been too long! Time does tend to fly during observations, I suppose... Ah ha... But now, it's time. Oh, how delightfully predictable you are, young Head of the Heiwajima."_

_The man suddenly stood up, and began to circle the room as he laughed._

_"Ah ha ha! Not a single miscalculation was made, hm? But then again, I am me, ha. Ah, I shouldn't get too excited, ne? Because after all..."_

_The man crouched down back at the table, eyeing the dust-covered piece, directly opposite of the rosebud._

_"... Things have only just begun, ne?"_

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**AN:** Woah, feels like a very long&slow chapter.

I'll love you if you review ~


	3. Chapter 2

**AN:** This story has nearly a hundred views, with four reviews (I don't know why it keeps saying three). That's pretty much one review every 25 views. Are these rates normal?! Q_Q Makes it seem like the story is being unappreciated... Guess I need to step up my game. Not that I can. 8D

Btw, I can't reply to Anon reviews; I'm so sorry. But I still love you guys anyway, alright?

Oh yeah. And I'm feeling the need to say this:

**The prologue is mostly made up of Tsugaru's past.**

**Chapter 1 (excluding the first italicized part) begins eight years after.**

Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough;; T_T

P.S. I wrote a one-shot for Shizuo&Izaya, called _Encounter_. I'm really worried about them being OoC ('CAUSE NO ONE'S GIVING ME A REVIEW, DAMNIT T_T), so please let me know how I've done!~

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A week has passed since the proposal of the destroying of the Orihara's third base. All three Division Commanders had agreed with the proposal; Touya solemnly, Tetsuya hesitantly, and Reito unwillingly; but regardless of how each Commander felt about the plan, it was to be carried on.

Today.

The plan was simple. Three weeks ago, during the raid of the Orihara's third base, a large quantity of some pink substance had been found in a minor research lab, located directly under the base. When the Heiwajima tested it out, nothing could be concluded other than the fact that it was a highly explosive substance when put under even the slightest pressure, and that the reaction was heavier the more of it there was. One soldier, undercover, was to take this substance to the main floor of the Orihara's third base, set it right in the middle of the floor, and light the strings on fire, using a match that would cause the fire to burn blue.

There was no escape route set for the soldier.

Tsugaru, the three Division Commanders, and the nine Division Administrators watched as Laude slipped into the enemy's yukata. The unknown pink substance had been placed into several small bottles, and had been strapped all over the young man's body; all of them attached to a single string.

Not a word was said as Laude tied the red obi. He hooked the koshirae onto his left side, securing it in place with the remainders of the sash.

There was an unquestionable smile on his face, enlightening his features with a brush of bliss. His raven-wing strands were illuminated by the rays of the sun peaking through the windows, his pale gray eyes full of anticipation and acceptance.

He did not look like a man who was about to walk to his death, and be the cause of many others.

Haku, one of the Division Administrators from the Second Division, could not hide his sorrow as he watched his childhood friend dress for his funeral.

"Aw, Haku; stop making that face at me!" Laude laughed, ignoring the heavy atmosphere in the room.

The said man did not voice any sort of response, his duty as a Division Administrator weighing his shoulders down in the presence of the Head of the Clan.

Laude swiveled around, not caring about how he should be acting in this situation, hands on his hips.

"Well, then, let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

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Tsugaru and Laude walked across the isolated hallway, without any exchange of words. The Commanders and Administrators had been asked by Laude to remain in the room, allowing the soldier to be alone with the expressionless blue-eyed leader. The silence was awkward for Laude, to say the least; but he did not say anything to break it. The pair remained silent as the soldier walked towards the gates that would lead him outside, where he would walk into the enemy's lair, and soon, put on a violent show of death.

All too soon, they reached the end of the hallway. Both men stopped, knowing this was where they parted ways.

"Tsugaru-sama," Laude said softly, his voice hiding any of his usual cheerful demeanor.

"Laude," the blonde man acknowledged. He paused before adding, "... Thank you... for your services up to this day. For sacrificing your life, for giving your oath, for remaining loyal to the Heiwajima, guardians of Cryophase. You have done well."

The said man got on one knee.

"... Although I wear the enemy's robe, hold the enemy's sword, and breathe the enemy's words; I pledge eternal allegiance to our savior, Cryophase, and to the guardians, the house of the Heiwajima. It is an honor, that in my life time... I had the privilege to serve you, Tsugaru-sama."

Laude raised his original katana with two hands, the blue and white blade scratched with the past of his many trials. Tsugaru took the offering, grabbing it carefully with his hands—as if it was a delicate thing that would break into two if too much force was exerted.

The raven-haired man stood up, his signature grin placed back on his face. Tsugaru couldn't understand where that pure smile of understanding could come from—but he realized that it no longer mattered, because he would no longer be able to see that same smile once again.

The blonde man didn't let his eyes trail his companion, as Laude stood up and walked towards the opening, where he would breathe his last breath of fresh, outside air before Death took his life.

"Tsugaru-sama, if I may..."

The said man turned his head, his ocean-eyes drinking in an illuminated figure in black, standing with his back shown.

"... I wished that you would be the one to end this long feud between the Heiwajima and the Orihara. Once a war has gone on for too long, it loses its purpose. Revenge only gives birth to revenge. The victory of one clan cannot compensate for the loss of lives on the battlefield for both sides. I wanted you to end that. And when you did end this war, when it was all over and done with, I always wanted to tell you..."

Tsugaru watched as Laude walked into the light, disappearing from view as he spoke his last words.

"... To find that which makes you happy, Tsugaru-sama. And to let protection be your reason to fight, not revenge— that which only gives birth to new battles, enemies, and deaths, not futures."

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_Later that day, a grand show was granted to those who weren't close enough to be killed by it._

_The third base of the Orihara clan released a deafening explosion, and the structure emitted a blue flame from the main floor. It slowly crept towards the top, burning all the contents down as the blue fire made its way to the top floor. The great building came toppling down, revealing its fragile structure as the heat took over._

_Eyes that were the same color as the breathing flame watched from the West._

_Eyes that were a blazing carmine, deep as the sunset watched from the East._

_The two men stood still at the opposite areas of the land, watching the same scene from different sides—one oblivious to the path of twisted fate he was now walking on, created by the smiling, anticipating other._

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Two days had passed since the explosion of the Orihara's third base. The men of the Heiwajima Clan had been in high spirits—all but a Second Division Administrator; Haku, still mourning over the loss of his childhood friend. He tried not to show it, but the contrasting atmosphere around him compared to the other men was obvious.

Tsugaru didn't—c_ouldn't_ understand. He had learned to stop mourning the losses of loved ones a long time ago. He dismissed the thought out of his mind, concentrating on the proposal plans that had been submitted to him, regarding the Orihara's second base. He was alone in the room; all of the Commanders and Administrators had been ordered to scout the ruins of what was once the enemy's third base. The angle of his head was causing blonde strands to fall across his face, making their way across vast ocean eyes, hindering their view.

As he moved his hands to place them out of the way, there was an urgent knock on the door.

"Come in," Tsugaru said, his voice either empty or calm to those who had ever heard it.

Keisuke, a First Division Administrator, walked in, not bothering to close the door behind him. He was panting, apparently having just arrived.

"Tsugaru-sama," he said, bowing and trying to catch his breath. His superior dismissed the bow. "A report from First Commander Touya from the scene."

The soldier walked towards the blonde's desk, placing a parchment for him to read. Tsugaru set down the proposals he had been holding off to the side, and quickly skimmed the new paper in front of him with a blank stare.

A minute later, the blonde asked, "... Have you confirmed this as well?"

"It has been confirmed by every soldier at the scene," Keisuke replied. "All three Commanders requested your presence as soon as possible, Tsugaru-sama."

Tsugaru stared at the piece of paper, many thoughts passing through his head.

"Understood," he said, standing up. "Prepare to leave immediately."

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"Tsugaru-sama!"

All of the Heiwajima's soldiers faced their attention to their ultimate superior. The men moved out of his path, bowing in respect as they stepped back to let him through. Behind him was Keisuke, and across from them, two Commanders and five Administrators were heading in their direction.

"Tsuga—"

"Proof," the blonde man said, cutting off his First Commander who had reached him and handing him the report he had written, not stopping his long strides. "Where is Commander Reito?"

"At the scene," Touya answered, turning around and leading Tsugaru in the direction of the unattended Commander. "Tsugaru-sama, if what we think is true..."

"..."

No one had to hear the First Commander's next words to know what he was trying to get at.

_"Tsugaru-sama, if what we think is true..."_

_Then we've walked straight into the enemy's trap._

"Commander Reito!"

At Tetsuya's call, the green-haired man looked up. He and his three Third Division Administrators stood up, switching their focus from whatever they had been looking at, to their incoming, blank-faced leader.

The Third Commander walked up to greet his superior, and lead him to the space where he had just been, surrounded by bowing Administrators. As Tsugaru dismissed their actions, Reito crouched and cleared the dirt around what he was trying to show.

A slightly blue-tinted glass bottle had been broken in half, most of its previous contents gone. But Tsugaru...

He did not miss the single droplet of pink substance that remained at the very corner of the tiny bottle.

"..."

"Tsugaru-sama," Reito spoke, his eyes still focused on the bottle. "The size of this bottle does not match the size of the ones we put on Laude."

"..."

"It appears as if the enemy has purposely placed several separate bottles before our arrival, in order to create a chain reaction and initiate a larger explosion."

_If that's true..._

_What are you thinking, Head of the Orihara?_

"Continue the search," Tsugaru said calmly, his expression nor voice allowing any of his thoughts to speak. "Expand the troops. Search every area of the ruins."

With the new order issued, the blonde man turned back, heading off in a different direction from which he had come. He dismissed his subordinates who tried to follow him, telling them that he needed them to search. Search for what, they did not quite know, but no soldier questioned their leader.

Alone with his thoughts, Tsugaru unsheathed his katana. The blade matched his Cryophase pin, both objects tagged with the same heavy weight of responsibilities. The man walked around aimlessly, trying to organize his thoughts— although he looked at peace on the outside, perhaps just outside for a light walk; but inside, his head was spinning with thoughts.

Tsugaru didn't understand. There was no way the Head of the Orihara, or any Head of any clan for that matter, would allow an enemy to destroy one's base; and in fact, help them absolutely annihilate his own soldiers by creating a chain reaction. There had to be something else in these ruins, something that showed that Orihara was planning something...

The distracting thoughts did not appear in Tsugaru's eyes as the oceans searched for something, _anything_ in these ruins. His katana dragged behind him, reflecting the golden light as the sun began to set. The man with the same shade of gold for his hair paused for a minute to watch the view, his cool blue eyes appearing with a burning fire as his irises reflected the setting sun. As Tsugaru's mind drew a blank, and then concluded that it was time to tell his soldiers to head back, he began to become aware of a heavily panting breath.

With a guarding stance, Tsugaru carefully listened to the breath, trying to find the direction. He inched closer across the ruins, being careful to make the least sound as he possible could. Quietly, he leaned his back on a ruin wall, scorched black from disaster. He could hear the heavy panting just on the other side, and this time, the blonde acknowledged that there was pain laced into the heavy breathing.

As Tsugaru listened to the systematic breathing, he loosened his guard, lowering his katana. He turned, and as quietly as he could manage, walked to see what was on the other side of the ruined wall.

Tsugaru found himself staring at the figure of a small man, with pale, white skin around his thin, angular frame. He was wearing the Orihara's black robe, singed and torn, his beautiful skin peaking from beneath the tears. His eyes were closed on his perfectly-structured face, a slight blush decorating his cheek bones as he continued his labored breathing. Full, pink lips trembled slightly as the man's breaths left him, a set of perfect, white teeth just visible. Black strands of hair, as dark as a starless night sky, brushed across his face as the owner shuddered in agony. Tears danced across the sides of his face, patches of his skin tainted with angry, red marks.

As the blonde man towered over this small figure, all of the thoughts in his head halted to a stop. He crouched down, and carefully, very carefully in order to not wake the beautiful stranger, he tilted the pained man slowly, revealing the back of his tattered clothing.

Blue eyes met with the red August, the representing dragon of the Orihara clan. The mark was embedded with multiple rubies and obsidians, the rare gems informing Tsugaru that this man was a family of his enemy's clan— the gems glinted harshly against the setting sun, as if to laugh at the expressionless Head of the Heiwajima.

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**More AN: **Ohgosh, Tsugaru FINALLY got to meet (see) Psyche. It seriously took too long till this point, you know? I hope I wasn't too obvious in rushing through Chapters 1&2 to get to that last scene...

Reviews would be very much appreciated~


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: **I have uploaded a prologue and two chapters between the 24th to the 27th, all over 2 000 characters. And now, a prologue and three chapters between the 24th to the 27th, still all over 2 000 characters. I have to say, when I think about that, I'm pretty proud of myself.

I AM NO LONGER A PROCRASTINATING WRITER, AHAHAHAHAHA!

... Sorry.

But seriously, this is all I'm going to upload for a while. Even if I finish Chapter 4 by let's say, tomorrow, I will **not** upload it. I've been uploading these chapters waaaay too fast.

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Two weeks had passed. The Heiwajima had succeeded in heavily damaging the Orihara's second base, the proposal from Tetsuya having been approved and gone well. Tsugaru stood at the balcony of his private room, his kiseru in between his lips for the first time in weeks. He drew in a long breath, and let it out slowly. It had been a while since this land had been so peaceful; but Tsugaru knew, like all other leaders before their many battles, that this tranquil situation would not last long.

A slight breeze picked up, ruffling golden strands of hair and lifting pieces of the white yukata, parts of it hidden beneath the blue and white patterned haori. The eyes that matched the shade of blue that his outer garment was patterned in watched the early morning sky, the bright sun having yet to paint the night away completely.

Tsugaru closed his eyes, listening to the fading song that would soon fail to reach his ears. He did not know who it was, but no thought of such crossed his mind as he heard that beautiful voice sing as the world awoke. The songs had begun a week ago, their times ranging from late night to early dawn. It was always the same voice, clear and soft during the quiet of the day. Although Tsugaru could not distinguish the words or the melody, there was no question about the fact that it affected him; although he could not pinpoint how.

Never would Tsugaru ever guess how that voice from one man, the words spoken through those lips, the thoughts processed through his actions, and how that one man's entire being, would soon change his expressionless self forever.

Three knocks on his door caused the blonde man to open his eyes. When he turned to face the direction of the new-found sound, he saw Reito, leaning against his door, putting his katana back in its koshirae.

Tsugaru watched, not missing the red blood that stained the white blade, before it disappeared into its blue case.

"He's not giving in, Tsugaru," the green-haired man said in a bored tone, dropping formalities in the private room. "I haven't even been able to get a name, much less any information."

"... What have you tried?" the blue-eyed leader asked, putting his kiseru between his lips again and smoking thoughtfully.

"Everything. You'd be better off asking what haven't I tried," Reito said, twisting a jade strand of hair between his fingers.

Tsugaru turned his back on his companion, staring out at the open sky once more. The song for today had ended, the beautiful voice no longer carrying over the area. He let out his breath, a large puff of smoke forming in his view.

Reito leaned his head against the door, tilting his view to watch his old friend's back. "So, what do you want to do now? Kill him?"

Golden irises gazed steadily as Tsugaru removed the kiseru from his lips. He recollected the memory from two weeks ago, having been unable to completely erase the encounter with the beautiful man from the enemy's clan in pain.

He couldn't think of a reason why, and it was beginning to unnerve him. It had been a while since Tsugaru had felt something as a hindrance to his emotionless life, no matter how slight that feeling was.

"No," Tsugaru answered softly, placing the smoke pipe between his lips once more. "I'll question him myself."

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Tsugaru dismissed all the guarding soldiers of the prison, indicating that he wanted to be alone with the prisoner inside for a while. Reito had told him that it appeared as if the man had no fighting ability whatsoever, and had trouble struggling against his torturers. With that in mind, Tsugaru slipped his katana out of its case and walked in, closing the door behind him.

The room was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from a small, barred window place on the right side of the room. The floor was littered with various torture devices, fresh blood stains indicating that they had been used recently. The room reeked of the crimson odor Tsugaru had grown used to, since the time his parents had been murdered, eight years ago. His grip around the blade tightened as he walked to the other end of the room.

The thin figure from his memories was there, lying down on his side on the cold, stone floor. The dim light illuminated his white skin, giving his naked body a pale glow. In addition to the burn marks Tsugaru had first seen the man with, there were fresh scars, large bruises, and scraped skin; nails were missing, having been pulled out as a form of torture— hair was tousled in various directions, indicating that they had been continuously pulled on. And just as the last time blue-eyes had set sight on this figure, tears streamed across his cheeks as the man breathed heavily.

As the oceans watched, the young man in front of them slowly opened his eyes to the feeling a presence in the room.

As his long, black lashes fluttered weakly, pale lids slowly opened to reveal irises as brilliant as the finest cut diamonds reflecting the sun. A rose blossomed in each eye, causing a shade of pink to take over, painting the gems with a blush. The gaze was unsteady, slowly blinking painfully against the weak light.

They were just as beautiful as his figure, adorning his face with one more perfect feature against the rest.

"... Ah..." he said softly. "... Again...?"

Although the young raven had only spoken one word, Tsugaru's heart lurched with recognition. Even if the word spoken had only been barely above a whisper, there was no doubt about it; it was the same voice that sang during the times when the world was still. The same voice that Tsugaru listened to no matter what late hour at night it was; those songs that cleared his mind as the soft tunes weaved across his heart.

As Tsugaru watched, the figure struggled to sit up, wincing as his cut hands made contact with the dust on the stone floor, every part he moved aching and dripping with new drops of blood. He leaned heavily on the wall behind him, fighting to keep the pain out of his breaths. He closed his eyes, the movement having caused him to only torture himself.

The blonde's grip on the blade loosened as he stared into reopened, half-lidded eyes. They weren't looking at him, but Tsugaru saw nothing other than the same blank stare he knew everyone saw when they looked in his eyes— it was as if he was staring at a reflection of his personal blank gaze through the eyes of another.

For the first time in many years, Tsugaru shuddered at the vast stare, feeling small as the empty gaze engulfed him.

As he did, the tip of his katana met the stone floor, scraping across it against his intentions.

Pink irises lit up at the sound, eyelids fluttering in acknowledgement.

"... A... katana...?"

Tsugaru blinked. He had been holding the blade out in the open since he had come into the room, and yet...

Those hazy eyes lit up in alarm, as the raven-haired man realized he had accidentally revealed something. Blue eyes searched for an answer on the guarded face, before he voiced his question out loud.

"Are you... blind?" Tsugaru asked, his voice coming out much softer than he had ever heard himself in the past.

Full lips opened slightly before they formed a firm, thin line, closing in any answer that had been on the verge of coming out. The man's eyes skittered nervously across various places on the floor, refusing to raise his head. But he knew, as Tsugaru knew, that he had said too much to hide it now. After a moment of silence, the young man answered in a hesitant, silent voice.

"... Yes," he said softly, the one word echoing against the walls of the quiet room.

The blade in Tsugaru's hand suddenly felt much heavier than usual.

It was as if a large weight had been suddenly dropped on his right shoulder, strengthening the usual weight that he normally felt on his two shoulders. The pressure threatened his grip as his senses screamed, telling him to drop the katana.

He did not comply.

"What... is your name? ... Are you... a family member of the Orihara clan...?" Tsugaru managed, ignoring the pounding in his head and the aching in his right arm.

The face of the figure he was staring at shifted into a thoughtful expression, those breathing eyes searching for what they could not see as they began to move towards the direction of the sound.

Tsugaru could swear that this man could see, as he found himself staring straight into irises of two blossomed roses that were held against the gaze of the vast ocean steadily. The pounding in his head began to fade away.

"... My name is Psyche, and my older brother is the current Head of the Orihara Clan."

The owner of the blue eyes continued to stare down at the pair of pink diamonds as they began to lose focus. A _feeling_ of some sort began to nag at the back of Tsugaru's mind, begging him for attention. He couldn't dismiss it like his normal thoughts; what did it want?

The blonde decided that he would have to straighten out every hindrance in his mind before dealing with the interrogation of another. Without another word, he turned around and walked towards the exit. No other sounds could be heard other than his footsteps hitting the stone floor, and breathing.

As he opened the door, a sudden question flashed through his mind. Turning his head over his shoulders, he watched what kind of reaction his question would initiate.

"You had the chance to answer any of the days during these past two weeks," Tsugaru asked calmly, the irritation in his mind simmering down as he increased his distance from the man, whose name now he knew as Psyche. "Why did you answer today?"

Psyche did not bother to hide the surprise from his face at the sudden question. He did not answer for a while, and Tsugaru thought that he wouldn't bother to answer. As he was about to leave for good—

The young raven's face was illuminated into a brilliant smile, his lips curving upwards and his eyes enlightened by bliss. Tsugaru stared over his shoulder as Psyche's face was painted with an honest expression of delight, his pale figure appearing brighter than before as the light danced across the newly enlightened features of his face.

"Because... You didn't torture me, unlike every other man before you," he answered softly, the purity of his truthful smile untainted by the darkness that skittered across the floor of the cell that kept him chained, prisoner to his enemy's hold.

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Reito put down the proposal he had been working on as Tsugaru walked into the private room, closing the door behind him. Golden eyes trailed on the blonde haired man as he refilled his kiseru, and began smoking again. Blue eyes stared forward blankly, not quite seeing what was in front.

"... How'd it go?" the Second Commander asked, turning his attention back to his proposal.

For a moment, Tsugaru kept smoking. Reito thought he wasn't going to get an answer until he heard, "... I've been able to confirm that he's a direct family member of the Orihara Clan."

The jade-haired man's hand stopped, surprise clouding his thoughts as he gazed at his proposal. He turned to stare at his friend again once more.

"... Should we stop his torture-interrogation?"

Tsugaru breathed. He still could not get rid of the memory of the time when he first saw Psyche. And from the encounter just a moment ago, he remembered how he had seen his own gaze through the raven's. He remembered those bruises, those scars, those burns...

And he remembered how he had seen the young man's smile over his shoulders, a pure, untouched expression in this tainted world, filled with honesty, belief, and hope—

"No," the blonde replied, unable to shake off that irritating feeling as it resurfaced once more. "Continue with it as needed."

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_In the empty, unlit room, the game board was left deserted on the table, its owner nowhere to be found._

_But in the darkness, the one piece that had been removed of dust; the rosebud, dipped in black, began to change._

_Slowly, without the knowledge of its owner — it began to blossom._

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**More AN: **OMG what.

As always, love you if you review ~


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: **I'M SO SORRY FOR SUCH A LATE UPDAAAAAATE. I honestly couldn't get past the scene where Tsugaru was standing in front of Psyche. I wrote it and was just like... I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO GO FROM HEREEEE. I mean, I did have a rough plan for the chapter... but the pieces weren't clicking.

This chapter is over 2,000 characters, just like any other chapter, but it seems a lot shorter because there is only one scene change. I also had to cut the contents a bit (more like half), because I would've been over 4,000 characters or something like that if I didn't.

Btw, I wrote a one-shot for Tsukishima&Hachimenroppi a bit back called _**Before It's Too** **Late **_Check it out, if you've got the time. c:

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Five days had passed. Psyche had been put through all types of tortures possible; his hair had been grabbed, his head forced underwater and pulled out just before he passed out. All of his nails from his fingers and toes had been pulled off, the raw, red skin underneath bleeding through the cracks. He had been forced to hang from his arms for hours at a time, only being released when all the blood had drained out from them. He had been choked and left alone just before his throat was crushed, the Heiwajima requiring his voice to be still intact. He was beat and cut, small daggers piercing through his body, just missing the vital spots that would kill him. He had been put in complete darkness and silence, the psychological torture driving him to the point of insanity.

And yet, he still hadn't given any information.

Tsugaru wasn't surprised. Although not many things surprised the blonde man in the first place, Tsugaru knew that Psyche _had_ to endure through all the tortures—any member of the direct family leader had to. They were trained to never give out any information to the _enemy_; because doing so could potentially kill every single member of the clan. It was a subconscious response that any clan leader had in their mind, an automated response to their _enemy_.

But what if that _enemy_ became a _friend_?

Tsugaru pondered over the thought. The smartest thing for him to do now was to ask for a negotiation from the Orihara; but he wasn't willing to let Psyche go, not just yet. Because for the blonde, his intuition told him that the captive man he held in his prison was the key to ending this long feud between the two Clans.

In favor of whom, he had yet to know.

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Psyche woke with a start. He wasn't sure if he was becoming paranoid, or had actually heard the doors of his prison quietly creak open. The temperature had dropped and he could feel the dampness through his fatigue, indicating that the sun had fallen and the night had taken over. He felt too tired, too weak to show much of response to the sounds he was possibly imagining. The best he could do was flutter his eyes open, the darkness still in his vision regardless of his open lids. He kept them partly open as his body breathed heavily from the pain, leaning against the wall for the little support it offered.

The pink-eyed man knew his body couldn't handle much more shock. Psyche had never been strong; from birth, he had always been physically weak. With the rate and severity of the tortures, death was inevitable—and now that the Heiwajima were coming at nights as well, he wasn't sure of the length of time he had before he took his last breath.

With mixed feelings, Psyche listened to the quiet footsteps that were coming closer to him with each second, confirming that he hadn't just been hearing things. They gave him no reassurance about his future, his quiet demeanor conflicting against his thundering heart.

Tsugaru stopped just in front of the silent man, the naked body before him appearing much more fragile than the last time he had seen him. This man was always much more broken than the previous time, but his will never wavered. The angry burns and scars only seemed to drive him further away from speaking, not intimidated by the pain.

Fear or pain was not this man's weakness.

Because for a man who could not see the light, darkness was a comfort instead of a threat.

The blonde man remembered how his enemy's guard had dropped when he wasn't tortured. How freely he had spoken, and how easily he had offered such a pure and honest smile, brilliant as the sun he could not see.

Psyche's weakness was the light.

More thoughts and further plans were clicking fast in Tsugaru's head as he sat down. The other party made no indication that he knew what was happening, his labored breathing soon the only sound echoing off of the stone walls. After being relatively comfortably seated on the cold stone floor, Tsugaru placed down the belongings he had brought with him. One by one he placed them beside him, confusing Psyche more with every clatter.

Although his outer appearance said otherwise, the blonde man was honestly confused for the first time in many years. How did you make someone who was your sworn enemy, a friend? He did not know how to offer kind words to a stranger, especially a prisoner who was a core member of the very clan that killed his parents. All he knew were phrases that had been pre-made and memorized, said with as much feelings as he could muster. It did not help that the irritation was starting to slowly creep back into his mind, somehow always managing to bother Tsugaru whenever he was either with or thinking about the man in front of him.

Without the knowledge and concentration to form the words to say, Tsugaru gave up. Instead, he decided that he would do what Reito had suggested as "kind" acts; the one other person that knew about this ridiculous plan; and reached for Psyche's arm to pour water over his wounds, cleaning them before they were to be bandaged.

The raven could feel something coming towards him, reaching out. He wondered what it possibly could be this time.

A rope to strangle him?

Chains to bind him?

Daggers to pierce him?

A katana to cut him?

More torture devices to—

Psyche yelped in surprise as he felt something frighteningly cold brush over his right wrist, moving it closer to himself. Tsugaru froze and stopped his movements, shocked from the blissful, warm touch caused by such slight contact. The pounding in his head had increased drastically from the one touch, _screaming_ at him to act.

But act on what?

The two men continued to be silent, registering the jolt they had felt when the two opposite temperatures had collided. Pink irises danced across the floor as the owner sat, now alert and nervous. The blonde man could not think straight, trying to register the magnitude of pain his mind would cause him if he continued to touch this man. But perhaps it was because of the pounding itself, that his mind was not complying to logic—for instead of retreating back, Tsugaru slowly reached out to take that pale, guarded hand.

Both figures were otherwise still as their fingertips carefully touched. Psyche had his heart in his throat, recognizing a hand, cautious and nervous as to what could possibly happen next as the soft cold numbed him. Tsugaru's head was about to burst and he could not think at all, his body taking over as he took the warm hand in his own, careful not to frighten his companion. For the two men, the world was still, time slowing down as each second stretched across this moment they shared together.

When the blonde had taken the raven's hand, the pounding in his head was gone. It disappeared the instant he had firmed his grip around the delicate hand, just as soft as it appeared, even with those angry marks covering it. The aching was taken over by a new sensation; the warmth rushed through his arm, traveling through his veins—and the slow, steady rhythm that his heart had kept for eight years began to quicken.

While Tsugaru was wondering over what was happening with his body, Psyche was still tense, his eyes large like a frightened animal. He felt his eyes sweep the room, regardless of the fact that they only offered darkness. His ears were strained, desperately trying to pick up recognizable sounds. But however hard he tried, the only thing he could be sure of was the cold hand that held his in a firm, yet soft grip, and the jolt he had felt when they had first touched. Now the frost shot up through his body, causing him to shiver. Psyche wished he could hold them tightly and warm them up, as warm as his heart was said to be, considering his cold hands—

"... Nn!" Psyche winced in surprise, startled by the sudden liquid that was being poured over various areas on his arm. Tsugaru paused the flow of the water, watching the raven's expression as his pained one slowly changed into one of confusion.

"What... what are you... doing?" the small man asked, hesitant and perplexed.

A sound escaped Tsugaru's lips, one he could not identify as he pondered over the question himself, re-attending himself to cleaning the wounds. What _was_ he doing? Suddenly, the plan he had in mind felt ridiculous—there was no logic behind it, only intuition.

However, Psyche recognized the sound immediately and his eyes widened further as he recognized a chuckle. As soon as he heard the sound, the raven relaxed just a little, allowing his wounds to be soothed by the cool liquid. The two men exchanged no other words as Tsugaru cleaned and bandaged Psyche's wounds. They sat silently, each touch burning each other as their opposite temperatures battled for dominance. Every brush of skin left an invisible mark, a permanent scar of where they had made contact.

When Tsugaru finished wrapping the last wound, he carefully set down the foot on the stone floor, his hands lingering slightly longer than necessary. He drew his fingers away from the soft, warm skin, suddenly feeling cold in the prison cell. He gathered everything had brought and stood, ready to leave as the aching had started to come back.

Psyche blinked as he felt the cooling touch leave him, and raised his head as he heard the ruffle of cloth. "Ah... Nn... Are you... leaving?"

The blonde man looked down once more into those blooming pink irises that seemed to stare straight at him, although they could not show their owner anything other than darkness.

"... Yes," he answered quietly.

Blue eyes trailed the raven as the said man's gaze lingered back on the floor.

"Oh..." was all Psyche managed, murmuring softly with no attempt to hide his disappointment.

The pounding was beginning to become unbearable again, and now on top of it, Tsugaru was beginning to feel frozen. He turned, ready to sprint out of the dark room, but was stopped as he felt a tug behind him.

As he turned around, he saw those pairs of roses staring back at him once more, a hand clutching his yukata.

"I... I won't ask why you did it, but... If it's possible... Can I..."

Psyche lowered his gaze again, eyes flickering nervously.

"Can I... know your name...?"

Tsugaru remained silent. He wanted to run, his headache becoming unbearable, but this was what he had come for—to get closer to his enemy in order to lower his guard. But the blonde couldn't announce his true identity, not just yet. As he was thinking, he turned his head, staring out of the small, barred square that was the only attempt at a window in the room. It was a full moon tonight, and the soft light that was being emitted illuminated the world a little brighter than usual.

The raven let go of the fabric, interpreting the silence as a way his mystery savior was saying he did not want to tell him. His hand slid easily down the smooth yukata, when—

"... Tsukiyo."

The blonde man watched as Psyche looked back up in surprise, then back down as he accepted the answer he had received.

"... Thank you, Tsukiyo," the raven said softly, bringing his arm back towards himself and curling up, attempting to keep his warmth in his prison.

Tsugaru paused a minute longer on Psyche's face before leaving the room, not having missed that same smile he had seen five days ago, the virgin smile untouched by filth.

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**More AN: **Wow, how long does it take to hold a hand?!

As always, reviews are very much appreciated ~


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